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| Janice rebels against the press gang and downs tools | Janice rebels against the press gang and downs tools |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Not so much to tell you this month as I was away for almost a fortnight, partly at the Olympics and partly with family and friends. But as I've said before, that's what volunteers do: push off and have fun on their own. My small society will get by; big society won't and shouldn't. | Not so much to tell you this month as I was away for almost a fortnight, partly at the Olympics and partly with family and friends. But as I've said before, that's what volunteers do: push off and have fun on their own. My small society will get by; big society won't and shouldn't. |
| The great event was as good as everyone else has already told you, and as a volunteer myself I cannot praise too highly the Games Makers, as the Olympic volunteers were called. How proud we were that one of them was one of my step-daughters. | The great event was as good as everyone else has already told you, and as a volunteer myself I cannot praise too highly the Games Makers, as the Olympic volunteers were called. How proud we were that one of them was one of my step-daughters. |
| Next summer we hope to go back and see what the Park looks like one year on. To my amazement, as someone who knew the area, I did finally work out the whereabouts of a lot of what had been there before, albeit not helped by the park map which was not orientated with north at the top. My worst fears about the obliteration of all that was good about the Bow Back Waters were confounded; wonderful wetland areas, wild flower meadows and masses of trees. So on Tuesday of the first week back it was a return for me to volunteering at Short Stop. There was only one referral, but over ten phone calls, mostly to voicemail, before I managed to fix an overnight stay for a young man from the Congo. As so often during Short Stop I was reminded of some of my pupils in London, several from the Congo, their French not like mine, to their amusement, with dreadful tales of fighting. I rang back to St George's Crypt and gave them the good news, once again the kindness of strangers. Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network coordinates the Short Stop programme and is currently looking for a volunteer to help with their media work. This is what it's all about: | Next summer we hope to go back and see what the Park looks like one year on. To my amazement, as someone who knew the area, I did finally work out the whereabouts of a lot of what had been there before, albeit not helped by the park map which was not orientated with north at the top. My worst fears about the obliteration of all that was good about the Bow Back Waters were confounded; wonderful wetland areas, wild flower meadows and masses of trees. So on Tuesday of the first week back it was a return for me to volunteering at Short Stop. There was only one referral, but over ten phone calls, mostly to voicemail, before I managed to fix an overnight stay for a young man from the Congo. As so often during Short Stop I was reminded of some of my pupils in London, several from the Congo, their French not like mine, to their amusement, with dreadful tales of fighting. I rang back to St George's Crypt and gave them the good news, once again the kindness of strangers. Leeds Asylum Seekers' Support Network coordinates the Short Stop programme and is currently looking for a volunteer to help with their media work. This is what it's all about: |
| Fed up with poor, inflammatory representation of asylum seekers and refugees in the press? Have a passion for writing, broadcasting and the media in general? We're looking to recruit a new volunteer project co-ordinator. If you are interested please see online here. | Fed up with poor, inflammatory representation of asylum seekers and refugees in the press? Have a passion for writing, broadcasting and the media in general? We're looking to recruit a new volunteer project co-ordinator. If you are interested please see online here. |
Wednesday saw me back at Coasties footpath clearing and maintaining, and this was the scene that met our eyes after we had walked, laden with tools and our backpacks, about half a mile downhill from the minibus. | Wednesday saw me back at Coasties footpath clearing and maintaining, and this was the scene that met our eyes after we had walked, laden with tools and our backpacks, about half a mile downhill from the minibus. |
| Trail bikers have made these ruts in what was a lovely hollow-way through the woods. It is hot and humid and there are bitey things, but the job needs doing; so we set to with mattocks and spades and gradually mange to eliminate the worst of the ruts. Meanwhile some of our colleagues have, we think, the easier task; they are designing and building the deterrent shown in the picture at the top of this post. | Trail bikers have made these ruts in what was a lovely hollow-way through the woods. It is hot and humid and there are bitey things, but the job needs doing; so we set to with mattocks and spades and gradually mange to eliminate the worst of the ruts. Meanwhile some of our colleagues have, we think, the easier task; they are designing and building the deterrent shown in the picture at the top of this post. |
| After lunch the diggers carry on with the task of filling in the ruts. The ground seems to be much harder now and we mutter darkly about what we might do to these motorised vandals. There are places where can they can ride their bikes legitimately, but guess what: they would have to pay. Eventually I text the fencemakers for assistance; two of them join us and agree how hard it is, so after a while we all decide to pack up early. It is a long steep way back up to the mini bus and the task is not finished, but there are other days for that. We are constantly being reminded how much more we should exercise, what an overweight nation we are becoming and how much it will all cost the health service. Well, walking is a free form of exercise; it doesn't need much equipment and all you need is a place to walk, but not one that has been despoiled by motor bikes. | After lunch the diggers carry on with the task of filling in the ruts. The ground seems to be much harder now and we mutter darkly about what we might do to these motorised vandals. There are places where can they can ride their bikes legitimately, but guess what: they would have to pay. Eventually I text the fencemakers for assistance; two of them join us and agree how hard it is, so after a while we all decide to pack up early. It is a long steep way back up to the mini bus and the task is not finished, but there are other days for that. We are constantly being reminded how much more we should exercise, what an overweight nation we are becoming and how much it will all cost the health service. Well, walking is a free form of exercise; it doesn't need much equipment and all you need is a place to walk, but not one that has been despoiled by motor bikes. |
| At the beginning of the week, the Malton and Norton Fairtrade group had their final planning meeting for our craft fair. We are planning to showcase both local and Fairtrade crafts and have the usual worries: will we have enough or too many stalls, publicity and refreshments? I then spent some frustrating hours trying to upload details to the Guardian Northerner n0tice website; however I managed eventually, going to www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner, then clicking on the funny n0tice word next to the map. (Sorry about that Janice, Ed). The details are there, but I can tell you simply that the fair is on Saturday 22 September at the Memorial Hall in Old Malton, free entry 10am-4pm. | |
| Tuesday was another quick Short Stop day with only one referral, this time from the Refugee Council. I rang one of the regulars who always answer their phone and almost always say Yes. So it proved, and I had pleasant reminders of the Oympics, chatting with my counterpart at the Refugee Council. | Tuesday was another quick Short Stop day with only one referral, this time from the Refugee Council. I rang one of the regulars who always answer their phone and almost always say Yes. So it proved, and I had pleasant reminders of the Oympics, chatting with my counterpart at the Refugee Council. |
| And so back to Coasties on Wednesday - quite a big group of us today and the area to be worked in is steep and narrow, with a board walk to be laid and lots of steps. Three of us realise that too many cooks will spoil the broth, or least fall over one another, so we ask if there is something else we can do. | And so back to Coasties on Wednesday - quite a big group of us today and the area to be worked in is steep and narrow, with a board walk to be laid and lots of steps. Three of us realise that too many cooks will spoil the broth, or least fall over one another, so we ask if there is something else we can do. |
| We find ourselves raking what would be hay if it was longer and drier, but is actually clumps of dank, damp grass on a sloping field. At least the sun is, mostly, shining and we are surrounded by stunning views; but it is back breaking and frustrating work, much of the cut stuff drags up roots when we rake, and if the grass goes on growing it will all to be done again soon. Here's proof: can you see the wooden rake in the dead grass? | We find ourselves raking what would be hay if it was longer and drier, but is actually clumps of dank, damp grass on a sloping field. At least the sun is, mostly, shining and we are surrounded by stunning views; but it is back breaking and frustrating work, much of the cut stuff drags up roots when we rake, and if the grass goes on growing it will all to be done again soon. Here's proof: can you see the wooden rake in the dead grass? |
| Next week we will be back, as the diversion of the Cleveland Way through the National Trust's alum works at Ravenscar still has many weeks' work to be done; more steps, gates and another section to be cut through dense undergrowth. However, the three of us make it abundantly clear that next week we will not be raking. | Next week we will be back, as the diversion of the Cleveland Way through the National Trust's alum works at Ravenscar still has many weeks' work to be done; more steps, gates and another section to be cut through dense undergrowth. However, the three of us make it abundantly clear that next week we will not be raking. |
| I am usually happy to do whatever is necessary to keep the paths open, the alum works in good order and the national park generally accessible, but there comes a time when I stamp my foot and announce that I am a volunteer, not a member of a pressed gang... | I am usually happy to do whatever is necessary to keep the paths open, the alum works in good order and the national park generally accessible, but there comes a time when I stamp my foot and announce that I am a volunteer, not a member of a pressed gang... |
| Janice is a retired london schoolteacher who blogs monthly for the Northerner about her voluntary work with asylum seekers and refugees in Lincoln Green, Leeds, and maintaining footpaths on the North York Moors. | Janice is a retired london schoolteacher who blogs monthly for the Northerner about her voluntary work with asylum seekers and refugees in Lincoln Green, Leeds, and maintaining footpaths on the North York Moors. |